Shoulder pad



March 13, 1951 c. E. MITCHEL SHOULDER PAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.23. 1949 ATTORNEYS March 13, 1951 c, MITCHEL 2,545,039

SHOULDER PAD Filed Feb. 23, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 67404 t.Mrcwez.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 FFlCE SHOULDER PAl) Carl E. Mitchel, SanFrancisco, Calif. Application February 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,773

4 Claims. (01. z-2

An object of my invention isto provide'a shoulder pad in which the bodyportion carries a shock absorbing arch that is not only spaced above theshoulder portion of the body but is also spaced in front of the chestportion of the body. In the playing of football, the blow caused by abody contact between opposing players is frequently received on thechest as well as ,on' the shoulder. An arch extending only over theshoulder does not dissipate a chest blow. My device by using an archthat is spaced from' the chest and shoulder, spreads the force of theblow whether it is received on the shoulder orzon the chest. The chestand collar bone are thus PIP- tected. V,

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which the two halves of the body portion may be adjustablyconnected together so that the shoulder pad can be worn by players ofdifferent sizes. 'Ilheiadjustment is such that the two halves are heldin parallel arrangement and prevents any neck pinching which usuallyresults when only lacing interconnects the two halves.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which the padding for the body portion and that for theshoulder caps is all in one piece. Novel connecting means is providedfor hingedly connecting the shoulder caps with the body portioniiso thatany strain on the shoulder caps caused by a body blow is taken up by theconnecting means rather than by the padding.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a partof this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the P Figure 2 is a rear elevation;

Figure 3 is a development view of the padding for the body and theshoulder cap with a portion of the body member being shown and the cap;

Figure 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the body member and the shock absorbingarch and illustrates how the two are connected together;

Figure 6 is a section along the line VIVI of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of Figure 1;

shoulder Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the body membershowing the shock absorbing Y, arch operatively applied thereto; and

Figure 9 is a section along the line IX-IX of Figure 8.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes or modifications may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

In carrying out my invention I provide a. shoulder padding comprisingtwo identical halves or body members and they are indicated generally atA and A. Sinceboth halves are identical in construction, a detaileddescription of one will suflice for both. I; willdescribe the left halfA shown in Figure 2 and the right half A will be given the same lettersand numbers except that they will be primed.

Referring to Figure 8, it will be noted that the left half A has a bodymember B that may be made out of any semi-rigid. material desired. Thebody member B is arched so as to extend over the shoulder of the playerand has a rear portion indicated generally-atl, an arch 2,,and a frontportion indicated generally at 3. The front portion extends down overthe chest of the player the desired distance. Both Figures 1 and 2illustrate how the body member B has the shoulder portion 2 providedwith a concave curve on its inner edge so as to give sufficient room forI The portions I and the neck C of the player.

3 of the body member B are made wide enough to give full protection tothe body of the player.

The body member B has a shock absorbing arch indicated generally at Dsecured thereto,

the greater portion of the arch being spaced from the outer surface ofthe body member B. Again referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that therear end 4 of the arch is secured to the body member portion l by rivets5 or other suitable fastening means. The shoulder portion: 6 of the archis spaced above the corresponding portion 2 of the body member B. Aresilient block indicated generally at E is placed between the member Band the arch D at a point where the shoulder portion 2 merges into thechest portion. Any means desired may be used for securing the resilientblock to the members B and D and in fact any resilient support could beused between these two members without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

I have shown one type of fastening means for the block E on an enlargedscale in Figure 9. The

member B disposed adjacent to the resilient block E has an opening I forreceiving a connecting member F that is in two parts 8 and 9. The part;8 has a cylindrical portion that enters a bore In provided in theresilient block E and the cylindrical portion is threaded at l. Theother part 9 has a threaded shank. i 2 that is adjustably received inthe threaded bore II, the shank also passingthrough an opening 12 in themeni+ ber D and havinga-head [4 bearing against the member. The head l4has a kerf by means of which the part 9 may be rotated by a screw"driver for compressing the resilient block to the desired extent. Inthis way the arch member D will have a resilient support due to themania and at the same time the member D can fulcrum on the block to acertain extent.

The front end I of the shock absorbing arch D is secured to the chestportion 2 of themember B by rivets I6, or other suitable fasteningmeans. The end l5 has an offset portion I! disposed near the front edgeand Figure 5 illustrateshow the offset portion spaces the arch from thebody member B between the offset portion and the resilient block E.Figure 5 illustrates the left half of the shoulder pad when looki ng inthe direction of the arrow V in l figure The shoulder portion 6 of theshock absorbingarch is spaced above the shoulder portion 2 of the memberB while the chest portion is of the arch is spaced in front of the chestportion 3 o fthe body member B.

A blow on the shoulder portion 6 of the arch D will be dissipated to therear end 4 of .the arch and to the resilient block E. Such a blow willtend to depress the shoulder arch portion Sand to' create a greatercurvature 'in the chest arch portion 18 with the result that the blowonthe shoulder 6 wili be dissipated by the chest portion [8 and carrieddown to the place where the rivets l6 connect the end ii of the arch tothebod'y member B.

A' blow against the chest portion 13 of the arch D will likewise bedissipated to the rivets l5 and to the end of the chest portion 3 andalso to the resilient block E. Such a blow will move the chest portion18 of the arch; toward th chest portion 3 of the body member B and willcause the arch D to tend. to fulcrum ,onfthe block E and to create agreater arch shape in the shoulder 6. Therefore, a chest blow will bedis; sipated to the arch portion 6 of the member I) and thence carriedto the rivets 5, therear 'end' 4 of the arch member D and the rearportion I of the left half A. It will alsobe seenthat a' body blow onthe shoulder portion 6, "or the chest portion l8, of the semi-rigidarch, .wi1l be dissipated over the entire left half A of thede'vice andthe player will be protected tofa far greater extent than wouldotherwise 'be possibleif the chest portion I8 of the member D were notpro; vided Both halves A and A" are provided'with the body members B, Band shock absorbing 'arch'es' D, D. Figures 1 and 2 show the inner edgesis and i9 of the arches D and D spaced'further from the neck C of theplayerthan the inner edges of the shoulder portions of the body mjembers B and B. This will give sufficient-clearance for the neck of theplayer so that the device will not pinch or chafe the neck.

I provide pad in G and (3' under each r the body membe s 13 and B.Figure 3 s ows the protects the collar bone of the player.

One of the novel features of the present invention is the provision of asingle piece of padding G that not only underlies the body member B butalso has a portion that underlies the cupshaped member H. Since theportion 25 of the padding is integral with the portions 29 and 21,greater. protection will be afforded the player.

Straps 22, 23 and 24 connect the cup-shaped member H with the member Band act as a hinge between the two while at the same time taking up anyblow that might strike the cup-shaped member H. In this way the paddingthat extends between the portions 28 and 2| and the portion 25 is nottorn or placed under a strain since all of the blow is transmitted fromthe cup-shaped member H directly to the body memberB by the straps andnot by the padding. Should for any reason the straps 22, 23 and 24 betorn loose, the padding G. would still retain the cup H in place becausethe padding is in one piece.

In Figures 1 and 2 I show epaulets J that are connected by hinges 26 tothe shock absorbing arches D at the shoulder portion 6. The epauletsextend partially over the arches D and over the shoulder caps H, so asto aid in protecting both from body blows. The leather hinge 26 permitsthe player to raise his armfreely, the epaulet J- swinging upwardlyduring this movement. The straps 22, 23 and 24 also act as hinges andper: mit the cup=shaped shoulder cap H to swing upwardly.

Another novel feature of my invention, is the provision of means forinterconnecting the two halves A and A- so that the shoulder pad can beworn by players of different sizes. In Figures 1 and 8, I show asemi-rigid connecting member K. This member has it ends underlying therear portions I of the body members B and B. Each end of the member K isprovided with upper end lower slots 27 and 28. These slots have branchslots 29 and 30, respectively, that in turn have bayonet shaped ends forreceiving screws 31 and 32, that are carried by the member B. In Figure2 I show the screws 3| and 32 received in the central branches 22 and 30and therefore the two halves A and A will be spaced a predetermineddistance from each other and held in position. The screws 3| and 32 maybe of any type do:- sired. In Figure 6 I show the screws as being of thesame type as the connecting members F. Further description of thesemembers 3| and 32 need not be given.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

The shoulder pad is adjusted to the right size by means of the screws 3|and 32 and the con: necting member K. When worn, the shock absorbingarches D and D will take the initial shoulder and chest blows. Theseblows will be dissipated and spread over the body members B and B in themanner already stated. The pad: ding Gand G will afford greaterprotection for the player because each half A and A has a single piecethat extends under both the body member B or B and the shoulder caps Hor H.

It is possible to omit the two lower screws 32 in order to permit thetwo halves to rock about the two upper screws 3|. It is also possible toplace the plate K at the front of the two halves rather than at the backin order to give a solid front effect. The rear portions of the halvescould then be laced together or otherwise secured.

I claim:

1. A shoulder pad comprising two halves, each having a semi-rigid bodymember arched so as to extend over the shoulder and down over the backand chest so as to protect both, and a semi-rigid shock absorbin archhaving one end connected to the back of the body member and the otherend connected to the front of the body member, the portion of the archdisposed between its ends being spaced from the body member fordissipating any blows directed against the shoulder and chest of theplayer to the ends of the arch and body member portions disposedadjacent thereto.

2. A shoulder pad comprising two halves, each having a semi-rigid bodymember arched so as to extend over the shoulder and down over the backand chest so as to protect both, a semi-rigid shock absorbing archhaving one end connected to the back of the body member and the otherend connected to the front of the body member, the portion of the archdisposed between its ends being spaced from the body member fordissipating any blows directed against the shoulder and chest of theplayer, and a resilient support for the arch and placed between the bodymember and the arch and disposed at the front of the body member andnear its arched portion.

3. In a device of the type described, a semirigid body member arched soas to extend over the shoulder and down over the back and chest so as toprotect both, a semi-rigid shock absorbing and shock dissipating archhaving one end connected to the back of the body member and the other orfront end connected to the front of the body member, the end of the archdisposed adjacent to the front connection being ofiset for spacing thegreater portion of the arch from the front and shoulder portion of thebody member for dissipating any blows directed against the shoulder andchest of the player and conveying the force of the blow to the ends ofthe arch and body member portions disposed adjacent thereto, and aresilient support placed between the body member and the arch anddisposed at the front of the body member and near its arched portion,said support acting as a shock absorber for blows received by the archand also acting as a fulcrum for permitting a slight flexing andswinging of the arch when the latter receives a blow at a point above orbelow the support.

4. In a device of the type described, a semirigid body member arched soas to extend over the shoulder and down over the back and chest, theback and chest portion being wider than the arched shoulder portion soas to offer greater protection to these parts and the arched portionbeing recessed on one side to provide room for the neck; a semi-rigidshock absorbing and shock dissipating arch extending over the shoulderand down over the back and chest and having the end of its back portionconnected to the back of the body member and the end of its chestportion connected to the chest portion of the body member; the archbeing spaced the greater part of its length from the body member andbeing made wider at its back and chest portions for offering greaterprotection, the shoulder portion of the arch being recessed on the sidecorresponding to the recessed side of the body member; and a resilientsupport placed between the body member and the arch and on the chestportion at a point near the shoulder portion, said support acting as ashock absorber for the arch and constituting a fulcrum point for thearch a the latter is flexed when receiving blows at points above orbelow the support.

CARL E. MITCHEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 1,294,138 Mitchell Feb. 11, 19191,761,206 Glahe June 3, 1930 2,247,961 Mulvey .4... July 1, 19412,430,502 Goldsmith Nov. 11, 1947

